Ron Turkett
Executive Lean Advisor
rturkett@leanCPI.com
Ron Turkett is an Executive Lean Advisor for TSD. For over 25 years, he has taught, trained, certified, and deployed Lean-Six Sigma continuous process improvement principles and methods for both commercial and government organizations. He has trained and provided operations improvement implementation support for organizations such as the U.S. Air Force, Highway Two, JD Powers, Volkswagen of America, General Motors, Toyota, Ford, AlliedSignal Automotive, ZF Lemforder, SPX and Delphi Automotive. He has been the lean sensei for facilities that have received the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing, and his experience has been gained in all operational areas and levels from worker to supervisor to executive.
In addition to his expertise in operations and new program management his global Supply Chain Management experience has helped companies lower their total cost of operations and distribution while increasing customer schedule attainment. He has provided guidance in organizational and process restructuring including supply chain design, CRM/ERP systems, logistics, organizational vision, mission, values, job descriptions, performance assessment and strategic planning support while provided training in operations, problem solving, leadership and change management.
Mr. Turkett’s lean knowledge reaches back to its source at Toyota, where he was a member of the management team that launched Toyota’s first U.S. assembly plant. There he managed new program launches, production planning and scheduling followed by productivity improvement for vehicle assembly and power train operations, working closely with Fujio Cho, Toyota’ current Chairman.
Mr. Turkett’s Six Sigma experience includes responsibility for implementing the original Global Six Sigma program at Allied Signal Automotive that saved $94M in its first year. He oversaw training and certification of Master Black Belts, Black Belts and Green Belts and supported hundreds of projects, with an average savings of over $125,000 per project. He was the first to integrate lean and Six Sigma training for managers and Master Black Belts. During the year he was responsible for global inventory reduction, Allied Signal Automotive lowered inventory by over $150 million.
In addition to his extensive practical experience, Mr. Turkett is a lean-Six Sigma academic, who spent four years as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Michigan’s College of Engineering teaching Manufacturing Strategies, Material Management, Lean, Six Sigma, and the integration of the two. Also, he developed and was lead instructor for University of Alabama’s unique case study and project-based Lean Certification program.
He received a BSME from Kettering University, MSIE from Wayne State University and a certificate in Strategic Business Planning from Northwestern University. He gained certification as a Quality Engineer from ASQ and Six Sigma Black Belt from the University of Michigan.